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COURSE CARE

On The Road With The USGA - April 2009
February 27, 2015

On The Road With The USGA - April 2009

By R.A. (Bob) Brame, Director
April 1, 2009

"March Madness" is coming to a conclusion - the
final four in college basketball has been determined. Here in
the North Central Region the Michigan State Spartans will carry
our enthusiasm forward.

There is another type of "March Madness" that
leads to "April Fool's Day." It is unrealistic
expectations by golfers as they pull their clubs out of storage
and head to their favorite courses - unrealistic expectations
about course conditioning and unrealistic expectations about
their skill. The later should remind us that golf is a game to
be enjoyed, and perhaps a lesson from your local PGA
professional would elevate that enjoyment. As for unrealistic
course conditioning expectations, only a fool would expect the
course to be in mid-season form this early. Talk to your
superintendent about the specifics at your course, offer a word
of encouragement to those you see working on the golf course,
and remember that patience is a virtue.

There have been a few calls over the last month about when
regular greens can be opened to play. The easiest rule-of-thumb
to apply is changing or cutting new holes. That is, if the
frost has come out of the soil sufficiently for holes to be
changed the green can be safely opened to player traffic. Keep
in mind, weather conditions could change a few days later and
necessitate closing what was open. There also is the very real
possibility that some greens may be ready to open while others
on the same course have not thawed sufficiently to accommodate
play without damage. Damage will typically weaken the turf so
that it is predisposed to pest and/or traffic injury. This
damage could seriously delay getting the greens to top form,
while also increasing maintenance costs.

If it is a need at your golf course,
Poa annua
seed head control is at hand. In fact, the ideal time frame has
passed for more southern courses in the region. Monitoring
growing degree days (GDD) is commonly used to zero-in on the
proper timing of plant growth regulation for specific
locations. Check out the following Web site, which illustrates
how the timing of applications for seed head control varies
http://www.gddtracker.net/
. Keep in mind, if your maintenance program is aimed at
stressing and reducing the
Poa annua
population it may be better to allow seed heads to develop
while adding other types of plant growth regulation to maximize
suppression. Multiple factors must be considered to outline an
efficient site-specific program for using growth regulators, if
they are to be used at all - a good example of what our Turf
Advisory Service (TAS) can offer.

If the plan at your course is to core aerate once in the
fall and a second time in the spring - it's too early. The
process of removing aeration plugs and filling the channels
with topdressing sand should ideally be done when growth is
consistent (mowing with clipping removal daily) so that
recovery will be quick and root growth down the channels is
maximized. The ideal spring window ranges from mid-to-late
April in the southern part of the region to mid-to-late May
further north. All aeration work should include a scheduled
target date and an alternate date one or two weeks later to
accommodate weather-related postponements. Juggling aeration
dates to accommodate play yields a false sense of security that
poses a very real threat to sustainability. If your course is
floundering with aeration needs, give us a call. While it can
be an emotional topic it also is a vital component of quality
golf turf conditioning - frequency and timing do matter.

Whatever the need at your course, whether agronomic,
political, or economic, we're here to assist. An annual on-site
visit is the best way to establish and maintain a team
relationship that maximizes the benefit to your operation. The
tough economic times further elevates the value of what can be
accomplished during an on-site visit - call or email
anytime.